Munching on the right snacks throughout the day is one of the best ways to shrink your waistline. Need proof? According to a recent study, researchers found participants lost significantly more body weight when they incorporated low-sugar, high-protein snacks into their daily food routine. Fitting in healthy, high protein snacks (such as a handful of unsalted almonds) helps to maintain blood-sugar levels—which keeps your brain from triggering hunger pangs—and stops your body from indulging in unhealthy foods after what feels like a long day of starvation.
Keeping a bag of frozen fruit in your freezer makes it so easy to whip up this portable smoothie. Besides the convenience, frozen fruit can also be healthier than fresh fruit in the off-season because frozen fruit is picked at its peak and is full of free-radical-fighting antioxidants. What’s more, the act of freezing the fruit may also help release some of those antioxidants as the ice crystals can burst open the cells in which they’re stored! We like putting yogurt in our smoothies to add a little fat and protein and spinach to add fiber. And either a tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chia seeds for their anti-inflammatory omega-3s. All three will help to blunt any spike in blood sugar from the fruit (which also have their own source of fiber).
For a flat belly, put down the chips and cookies and snack on some air-popped popcorn instead. The air-popped stuff doesn’t have the salt and fat that comes with unhealthy microwave popcorn that’s usually doused in butter, and it’s also an excellent source satiating fiber and protein. In fact, one cup of popcorn popped fresh in olive oil and lightly salted has 2 g of fiber, one g of protein, and is only 40 calories. To add some flavor to the tasty, low-calorie treat, make use of metabolism-boosting spices such as cinnamon or cayenne pepper. For more ways to boost your fiber intake, check out The 43 Best Foods for Fiber!
Anyway, I just want to thank you Cassey for being so inspirational, and cheerful, and for always brightening up my day, whether it’s through one of your delicious recipes, or through an awesome workout! I have tried, and failed several times to eat clean and workout regularly, but this time, I’m actually enjoying it and I think that I can see it through! Thanks again!

In this book, we look at all of the ways you can improve your own gut health, starting with the food you eat. My diet recommendations, meal plans, and recipes will help feed and protect your gut microbes. And we look at the many other steps you can take to support your beneficial bacteria, from avoiding unnecessary antibiotics to changing the way you think about dirt and germs. Even the choices you make about how you bring your children into the world can have an impact on your family's microbiomes.